Sword and the scimitar
By: by Simon Scarrow
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2012
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 436
ISBN-13: 9780755358366; 9780755358373
Subjects: Fiction; Malta - History - Siege, 1565 - Fiction; Historical fiction; History
Description: "Malta, 1565. A vital outpost stands between the divided nations of Europe and the relentless expansion of the Ottoman Empire. As a decisive battle rages, a veteran soldier fights for the existence of the Knights of the Order of St John and the Christian world ... Faced with ferocious enemy attack, the Knights must summon all their strength if they are to escape annihilation. Amongst those returning to Malta is Sir Thomas Barrett, exiled in disgrace decades before. Loyalty and instinct compel him to put the survival of his men and the Order above all other concerns, yet his allegiance is divided. On Queen Elizabeth's orders, he must retrieve a hidden scroll concealed on the island, which threatens her reign. As Sir Thomas confronts the past that cost him his honour and a secret that has long lain buried, the Ottoman horde lands and lays siege to the defenders. Vastly outnumbered and with no sign of the help promised by distant kings, the Knights and their Maltese allies know that the future of the Order's faith, and of the western world, hangs in the balance ..."--Provided by publisher.
Table of contents: title: 1565; In its hour of greatest need, Malta must rely upon the ancient Knights of the Order of St John for survival. Bound by the strongest ties: of valour, of courage and of passion, the Knights must defend their island against ferocious and deadly Ottoman attack. For Sir Thomas Barrett, summoned by the Order and compelled by loyalty; title: to the Knights, to his honour and to his Queen; title: returning to the besieged island means revisiting a past he had long since lain to rest. As the beleaguered Knights grapple to retain control, decade-old feuds will be reawakened, intense passions rekindled and deadly secrets revealed.